Our Thomas Fire Barn Owl is making a lot of progress. When it arrived to us it was lethargic, dehydrated and had a severe head tilt. We associate head tilts (torticollis) with head trauma and we put it on a regimen of NSAIDs and supportive care. It is now able to stand and is displaying some common barn owl defensive behaviors which are both great signs. It is still very off balance and has a long road to recovery but we are encouraged by this progress.

In the below video you can see that its wings are being held out in a way to make it look larger and it is "sweeping" with its head. This a trademark Barn Owl defensive stance and behavior. It is struggling to do this, as it is still very off balance but it is great news. Early in its rehab it had very little cognitive response and was not alert, this behavior tells us that it is aware of our presence and that it is properly responding to us (humans in general) as a threat.

Ojai Raptor Center is a certified 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. EIN 77-0543286. ORC holds all necessary wildlife rehabilitation permits issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.